Sadie
Sadie is a British/Canadian/Australian animated series that aired on Global TV in Canada, SBS in Australia and MTV in the US before moving to The N. It also aired on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, Locomotion in Latin America and 2x2 in Russia. It started off as a series of five skits that aired between 2000 and 2001 in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. The show is a slice of life dark comedy drama set in a community college-type high school and based around five students, each trying to get by while attesting to their worst flaws and their vitriol toward people they consider to be too mainstream. Plot The series took place in Prospect, a fictional town located in Toronto. It's a small college-town type community that comprises of Prospect Academy, the main setting for most episodes, along with a pizza place where the gang congregate frequently, a convenience store, a movie theatre and the pier. The remainder of the town is often depicted as non-existent to the gang. It was centered on the eponymous Sadie, a freshman and aspiring writer who wants to make something of her life while getting away from her family. She is aided by her friends, the naive and socially awkward Ori, the sociopathic Travis, his often hotheaded step-brother Jerry and the intelligent Flip. The show explored themes of depression, bullying, withdrawal, loneliness and peer pressure. The show was strictly anti-politically correct. Characters that mean well often serve as the antagonist, and the gang frequently turn down logical solutions in favor of what would benefit them the most. Strange has described the series as the antithesis to teen-oriented programs like Degrassi and One Tree Hill, and as encouragement for teens to not fear being different. The show featured music from Sunny Day Real Estate, Hum, Filter, Incubus, Morrissey, Chevelle, Local H, No Doubt, Blink-182, Red House Painters and American Football. Production The concept for the show was based on Slabs, a comic strip series produced by Elliot Strange and Waylon Scylles in the mid-90s. The comic garnered underground popularity after they circulated in school newspapers and independent publications. To capitalize on the popularity and expand to international audiences, a series of animated were produced, starting in 1999 and ending in 2001. They were released on Channel 4 and backed by Canadian and Australian outlets. The shorts were aired on Teletoon and SBS as well, often as vignettes during commercials. They made their American debut on Nickelodeon in 2000. With the continuing success of the shorts, Scylles wanted to produce a full-fledged TV series based on them, but was turned down due to the concept being deemed too general. He then turned to Strange who's company was in dire debt. In need of funds, he agreed to produce a show based on the strip, but sought international funding as well. He commissioned the Canadian Nelvana to produce the animation for the series. Since the show's content was considered to be too neutral between child friendly and adult oriented, it was decided that the show would air on networks aimed toward general audiences. In spite of prevalent backing from British and Australian outfits, the show was funded predominately by Canadian outlets and as a result of this, a majority of the cast is made up of Canadian actors. The only American actors to appear on the series had their lines recorded from their homes and sent to the animators to be edited in to the episodes. An idea was pitched where certain actors would appear live and give their experiences in school, normally to segue into the episode in question, but this was rejected. The show's animation was produced by Media World Features' internal animation department Animation Works and outsourced to Dong Woo Animation. Strange and Syclles had received enough backing to afford outsourcing. It was aired on Global TV in Canada, Channel 4 in the United Kingdom and SBS in Australia. When the shorts were greenlit into a full series, MTV was selected as the show's American network. The show was successful in the United Kingdom and Canada, but failed to make an impact in the United States, lasting for one season only due to poor ratings. They decided to try another American network, Noggin's late-night programing block The N since it catered to the same audience as MTV, and the show found more success there. The creators believed that they would have to censor the show heavily, but to their surprise, The N allowed them to keep certain elements, such as Travis' weed addition (though cut down slightly to avoid influencing viewers). The only scene that was cut outright was one in the first episode where Ori's nude buttocks were shown briefly. The show aired its final episode in November of 2004. Reruns have been aired on The N (and Nick at Nite five months prior), but was taken off the former in 2005. The show was taken off the air for good in early 2006 due to The Corning/Emerson Group encountering financial issues that prevented them from making/renewing rerun and syndication deals, as well as accusations of financial mismanagement between them and their co-backers. It became one of the biggest financial failures in television history. Characters Main Characters * Sadie Dallow (Morwenna Banks): The eponymous main protagonist. She wanted to enroll in a school based in the US in order to escape from the coddling care of her mother. Sadie is an aspiring writer, is fairly intelligent and is a fantasy nerd (shown through her writings based on mythical creatures, sometimes depicting herself as one.) Sadie is friendly, though she tends to be selfish and ignorant (often willingly) of issues she's out of the loop of. She is also rebellious, reflected through her many piercings, attire and not showering (something she originally did to spite her mother, but stuck with soon after.) She was born to an Australian mother, but was moved to Tyne and Wear after marrying her father. She works as a cashier at a toy store and hooked up with Travis near the end of the series. * Ori Ellis (Alyson Court): Sadie's best friend, and the secondary protagonist. Ori is the nicest out of everyone in Sadie's circle though she is somewhat naive, very sensitive and lacking in self-esteem. She loathes fashionistas and is content in wearing the same outfit for weeks on end (which is a pink hoodie (though she often switches it to a grey sleeveless one on warmer days) and denim jeans (formally acid washed jeans in the shorts)). Ori is often the victim of bullying and mockery from high-tier students, thanks to her sensitive nature and falls victim to peer pressure, which Sadie often has to help her through. Ori supposedly inspired a school wide nerd ratio, where her geekiness is determined by the size of her behind (due to the impression that she spends her free time behind her desk on a computer.) She develops a crush on Jerry and the two eventually hook up later in the series. She was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. She works as a janitor at Hartman's. * Travis "The Deer Lord" Cubitt (Stephen Merchant): A prominent stoner who lives in the school. His grandfather founded Prospect and as a result, Travis inherited the former's house which he built on the school ground. He has allowed Ori and Sadie to stay in his house after they helped him avoid expulsion in the first episode and built their current friendship. While reckless due to his habit, he is very organized, has an eye for detail and is a decent drawer, even serving as an artist for Sadie on occasion. He earned the nickname The Deer Lord after covering himself in corn and luring a herd of deer into the school. His hair sticks up a lot to symbolize a lack of self-control. He and Sadie had a bit of a rivalry, with them constantly riffing on each other, but both realized they liked each other and hooked up. * Jerry Cubitt-Yorke (Daniel DeSanto (shorts) Glenn Howerton (Series)): Travis' younger step-brother, becoming so through Travis' father entering a relationship with his second wife. He's the most logical part of the gang and has spent most of educational life studying abroad until he suffered a mental breakdown and was sent to Prospect to even himself out. He is prone to angry outbursts and emotional fits, which he blames on a horrible childhood and a bad experience with his 1st grade teachers, but he has a good heart. He shares a room with Ori, and the two eventually hook up, with Ori helping him control his temper. In spite of being part of Travis' family, he still uses his original maiden name. * Flip Gamble (Patrice O'Neal): Originally rented Jerry's room whilst he was away. Adopted into a white family, Flip has been bullied for most of his life because of this and has gone through an identity crisis. He wears a ski-mask, both because he felt ashamed of his current living situation and due to the fact that his parents got him enrolled at Prospect through the affirmative action program and it made him fear that the alumni will view him as inferior. He tries to act as the voice of reason for the gang, but his advice goes unheard. He was a late addition to the show, done to add a proverbial straight man to the series. Other Characters * Hoest Reiner (Norm Spencer): The school's headmaster. He formerly worked at Harvard until he was sent to Prospect to straighten it out after his predecessor broke down. Hoest was bitter at first to work at a much lower school, but gradually grew to accept it because of a lack of pressure. Hoest is apathetic to the alumni, especially Sadie and her camp of friends because of their selfish reasons for going to Prospect. He was once a frequent partier, but he distanced himself from it in order to be taken more seriously. His name is sourced from Bunny Hoest and John Reiner, the writers of The Lockhorns. * Mr. Mozark (Gregory Hines): The gang's former teacher. He seemed to understand the gang more than anyone else and encouraged their alternative way of thinking. He was removed from the show, following the death of his actor. * Amy (Jenna Von Oÿ): Among the more popular students, but contrary to belief, she's not a mean individual. Rather, she just refuses to associate with those whom she deems to be beneath her, yet she still often attacks Ori and Sadie. She judges people via experiences with similar individuals and through their appearance. In the first episode, it's implied that she needs to wear glasses, but she only wears them for special circumstances. Sadie depicts Amy as a villain in her writings, portraying her as a werewolf and ogre to represent Amy's inner ugliness. * Eve (Jennifer Hale): Amy's supposed best friend who frequently defends her when someone questions Amy's authority. She is very gullible and would do anything if someone more popular than her told her to. It's revealed in A Keeper that not even Amy likes her. * Dell Higgins Dallow (Beverly Dunn): Sadie's over-protective mother. Dell has kept Sadie sheltered throughout her child and teen years. She blames her clinginess on a lack of communication with her own mother, until it's revealed that her mother was the same as she was. Dell never punished nor disciplined her daughter, who learned right from wrong from television. Dell's coddling is not done out of genuine love and care, but out of complete incompetence. She also tries to make Sadie act like nothing is wrong with the world. Dell seems to live in her own world and is oblivious to obvious problems. * Syd Dallow (Neil Morrissey): Sadie's father. He seemed to care just as little for Sadie, though he was more honest about it. Since then it has been implied that he was sorrowful for not caring for Sadie when he did and in situations where Dell and Sadie are arguing, he takes to the latter's side. * Tan Dallow (Kate McLennan): Sadie's younger sister. She and Sadie used to be very close, but after Tan developed a talent for lacrosse, she was favored over Sadie for many years. The two grew apart and Sadie blames her for the turmoil she faces today. She played a major role in "Revenge of the Sis" where Sadie still held a grudge against Tan and believed that she would treat her to the same turmoil she encountered years ago, but was surprised to learn that Tan missed her and wanted to fix their bond. The two later made up and Tan promised to mess with Dell for her. Places * Prospect Academy: A live-on high school that serves as the show's main setting. It's considered to be the heart of the town and one of the more prosperous places known in the area. Hoest Reiner is the only consistent worker at the school, as the teachers regularly get rotated. While Reiner is proud of the school, students with sense see it as a hive for cringeworthy teenagers, ripe with horrible food and the lack of a functioning air conditioner. * Travis' House: Second most prominent setting for episodes in the series. Travis inherited the house from his grandfather and has lived there since. The house is a few miles away from Prospect and the gang consider it to be a personal sanctuary from their school life. * Pacardo's: Prospect's local pizzeria. The gang frequently go there to contemplate their problems, other times they just go there for dinner. They are the only consistent customers, and as a result, they were able to bend the atmosphere into that of their liking. * Hartman's: Prospect's convenience store, and another spot the gang frequent (usually for breakfast since Prospect's food is unbearable). The lone worker, Troy, frequently bullies children, but seems to have a mutual respect toward the gang. The gang stop there for cheeseburgers and chocolate milkshakes. * Cinexus: Prospect's movie theatre. Renowned for its low quality, though the gang enjoy it because of its unique atmosphere. It plays a major role in "Samey" where the gang try to get jobs there so they could hang out and work, but they wind up driving away customers. The theatre frequently showcases trashy/low quality productions. * Pier: Another local hangout for not only the gang, but the rest of Prospect Academy. Episodes Reception In general, Sadie received favorable reviews from critics and especially viewers. Praise went toward the realistic portrayal of teenaged youth as well as its music selection, with critics considering it to be a proper portrayal of the early-2000s. However, the show couldn't maintain steady ratings, at least in the US. Video Games A min-game collection/software app was released in late-2000 for the PC, based on the comic strip/old shorts, developed by Hypnotix with additional work by The Corning/Emerson Group and published by Simon & Schuster Interactive. A Europe-only version of the game was released for Windows XP and featured a bigger game. Another game was released for the XBOX and Windows, this one being a sports game themed around the characters. A java adventure game based on the show was released in 2004 for mobile phones, published and developed by Fathammer and RedLynx. You play as Sadie, setting out to look for her friends during a school riot and then setting out to attend an end of the school year party. The game received mixed reviews. DVD Release The show originally received a DVD release in Canada through kaboom! Entertainment and Peace Arch Entertainment, but it's now out of print. It contained all of the aired episodes and the predecessor shorts. It received a European re-release through Video Collection International, comprising of the same material, only this time it included unseen material and interviews with Strange and Scylles. This is also out of print. Another DVD release by Cal Clarion and Paramount Home Entertainment came out in Region 1 territories in 2014, but it was met with backlash due to it editing out licensed music tracks and being deemed underwhelming in comparison to the Canadian version.